Kevin J. Tracey (born 1957) is an American neurosurgeon, biomedical researcher, and author known for his contributions to the fields of inflammation, neuroscience, and bioelectronic medicine. He is president and chief executive officer of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, executive vice president for research at Northwell Health, and holds the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. Tracey is also professor of neurosurgery and molecular medicine at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/ Northwell, and president of the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine. He is recognized for discovering the “inflammatory reflex”, a neural mechanism by which the vagus nerve regulates immune responses. His research established the scientific foundation for the discipline of “bioelectronic medicine”, leading to the development of implantable devices that use vagus nerve stimulation to treat inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Early life and education Tracey was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, summa cum laude, in chemistry from Boston College in 1979 and a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Boston University in 1983. From 1983 to 1992 he completed his neurosurgical training at New York Hospital-Cornell University Medical Center under neurosurgeon, Russel Patterson. During his residency, he conducted research as a guest investigator at Rockefeller University.
Career In 1992, Tracey joined Northwell Health (then North Shore-LIJ Health System), in Manhasset, New York, where he practiced neurosurgery and founded the Laboratory of Biomedical Science, later renamed the Tatyana and Alan Forman Family Laboratory of Biomedical Science. In 2005, he was appointed president and CEO of the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, and president of the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine.
He co‑founded '''SetPoint Medical''', a biotechnology company developing vagus nerve stimulation devices for autoimmune diseases, and co‑founded the '''Global Sepsis Alliance''', an international non‑profit organization for sepsis awareness and prevention.
In 2021, Tracey and colleagues at the Feinstein Institutes received a five‑year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying bioelectronic medicine.
In 2025, Kevin J. Tracey was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors.
Kevin J. Tracey was named to the 2026 TIME100 Health list in recognition of his scientific discoveries that helped develop an implantable vagus nerve stimulation device to treat rheumatoid arthritis by modulating neural signals, supporting the balance between inflammation and immune activity.
In January 2026, Tracey was appointed to the Board of Directors at United Therapeutics.
Research and scientific contributions Tracey’s research focuses on the interaction between the nervous and immune systems, particularly the neural regulation of inflammation.
Tumor necrosis factor and HMGB1 In early studies, Tracey and his collaborators identified '''tumor necrosis factor (TNF)''' as a key mediator of shock and tissue injury. They first demonstrated the anti‑inflammatory activity of monoclonal anti‑TNF antibodies, a discovery that supported the development of biologic therapies targeting TNF for rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
In 1999, his team reported that '''high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1)'''—a nuclear DNA‑binding protein—acts as a late‑phase inflammatory mediator, explaining mechanisms of sterile inflammation following trauma and sepsis.
The inflammatory reflex and vagus nerve In the 1990s, Tracey and colleagues discovered that electrical or pharmacologic stimulation of the '''vagus nerve''' inhibits cytokine release, including TNF, through an anti‑inflammatory neural pathway. He described this mechanism as the '''inflammatory reflex''', a bidirectional feedback circuit between the nervous and immune systems. This finding provided the conceptual basis for '''bioelectronic medicine''', in which medical devices modulate peripheral nerve activity to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
Working with SetPoint Medical, Tracey’s discoveries contributed to development of an implantable vagus nerve stimulation system that, in 2025, became the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration‑approved bioelectronic medicine device for rheumatoid arthritis.Rosas-Ballina, M., et al. "Acetylcholine-Synthesizing T Cells Relay Neural Signals in a Vagus Nerve Circuit". Science, vol. 334, no. 6052, 2011, pp. 98–101., doi:10.1126/science.1209985.
The vagus nerve is a network of nerve fibers extending from the brainstem to organs throughout the body. Its job is to regulate autonomic functions, including heart rate, digestion, and inflammatory responses. Later studies in Tracey’s laboratory identified neural circuits connecting the vagus nerve’s '''dorsal motor nucleus''' to the '''celiac–superior mesenteric ganglion complex''', demonstrating parasympathetic control of sympathetic splenic neurons. Additional research revealed that '''choline acetyltransferase‑expressing T cells (T ChAT cells)''' mediate neural suppression of cytokine production by releasing acetylcholine.
In May 2025, Kevin J. Tracey published The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes, a book exploring the role of the vagus nerve in regulating the immune system. Drawing from research, Tracey discusses how stimulating the vagus nerve can turn off inflammation and could offer treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, among others. While it is not a cure-all, stimulating the vagus nerve, called vagal toning, can promote relaxation and stress relief.
Awards and honors Fellow, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) (2024) Hans Wigzell Research Foundation's Science Prize (2023) Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (2020) Honorary Doctorate, University of Fribourg (2020) Honorary Doctorate, Karolinska Institute (2009) Harvey Lecture Series, Harvey Society (2018) Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2015) Member, Association of American Physicians (2009) Elected member, American Society for Clinical Investigation (2001) Highly Cited Researcher in Immunology, PLOS Biology, The Public Library of Science Magazine DeWitt Stetten Jr. lectureship, National Institute of Health (2007)
Publications Tracey has authored more than 450 peer‑reviewed papers and holds over 120 U.S. and international patents. His research has received over 130,000 citations, with an h‑index exceeding 170. +YearTitlePublicationAuthor(s)Volume/Issue Citation2011Acetylcholine-synthesizing T cells relay neural signals in a vagus nerve circuitScienceRosas-Ballina M, Olofsson PS, Ochani M, Valdés-Ferrer SI, Levine YA, Reardon C, Tusche MW, Pavlov VA, Andersson U, Chavan S, Mak TW, Tracey KJ10.1126/science.12099852003Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha7 subunit is an essential regulator of inflammationNatureWang H, Yu M, Ochani M, Amella CA, Tanovic M, Susarla S, Li JH, Wang H, Yang H, Ulloa L, Al-Abed Y, Czura CJ, Tracey KJ10.1038/nature013392002The inflammatory reflexNatureTracey KJ10.1038/nature013211999HMG-1 as a late mediator of endotoxin lethality in miceScienceWang H, Bloom O, Zhang M, Vishnubhakat JM, Ombrellino M, Che J, Frazier A, Yang H, Ivanova S, Borovikova L, Manogue KR, Faist E, Abraham E, Andersson J, Andersson U, Molina PE, Abumrad NN, Sama A, Tracey KJ10.1126/science.285.5425.248
Book and editorial activities Tracey, Kevin J. (2025). The Great Nerve: The New Science of the Vagus Nerve and How to Harness Its Healing Reflexes. Avery. .
Editor-in-chief, Bioelectronic Medicine Advisory Editor, Journal of Experimental Medicine Contributing Editor, Molecular Medicine
Media and public engagement Tracey has delivered lectures and keynote addresses internationally, including the '''Harvey Lecture (2018)''', and presentations at the Constellation Forum and TEDMED, where he spoke on “How Electricity Could Replace Your Medications”. He has appeared on programs including ''The Tim Ferriss Show'' and ''The School of Greatness'' podcasts.
Patents +YearTitleInventor(s)Patent Number / Application Number2025Stimulation of the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion complex for treating inflammationValentin A Pavlov, Santhoshi Poonacha Palandira, Kevin J TraceyApplication: 189299262025Choline acetyltransferase as a therapy for endotoxemia, sepsis, colitis and inflammatory diseasesSangeeta S Chavan, Kevin J TraceyApplication: 182939722024Neural control of adaptive immunitySangeeta S Chavan, Kevin J TraceyApplication: 182786882024Systems and methods for real-time monitoring of physiological biomarkers through nerve signals and use thereofTheodoros Zanos, Todd Levy, Emily Battinelli, Kevin J Tracey, Chad E Bouton, Sangeeta Chavan, Harold SilvermanPatent: 11872371
References
External links
Feinstein Institutes profile SetPoint Medical Global Sepsis Alliance